Southampton, to the outsider looking in, have always come across as a club willing to give youngsters a chance in the first team.
The likes of Adam Lallana and James Ward-Prowse were once wide-eyed starlets trying to make the grade at their boyhood clubs, and they certainly did well when handed those eventual first team chances, amassing a mighty 727 Premier League clashes between them.
The iconic midfielder and his ex-Liverpool counterpart are now both back at St Mary's in a playing and coaching role respectively, having had long and decorated careers at the very top.
Moses Sesay will want to be the next homegrown midfield sensation to leave his mark on the senior side, with the 19-year-old loving every minute of his loan move to Colchester United currently.
Sesay's red-hot start at Colchester
Notching up 87 appearances for both the U18s and U21s on the South Coast, the time did feel right this summer to allow Sesay to have his first proper taste of men's football, out on loan in League Two.
He does have one singular first-team appearance next to his name for Southampton, but he needs regular minutes in a more intense environment to mature, away from playing exclusively on Premier League 2 pitches.
He's certainly fit in immediately at the U's, as he has three goals and one assist next to his name already at Danny Cowley's men, from just seven games, with this stunning solo strike last time out against Shrewsbury Town helping his new loan employers to a 2-2 draw.
Moses Sesay - remember the name! #RaisedInTheEFL | #EFL pic.twitter.com/dhK6sSD2AD
— Sky Bet League Two (@SkyBetLeagueTwo) September 26, 2026
Sesay would also score right at the death to seal a share of the points when emphatically smashing an effort home, with the number 12 sticking out as a breath of fresh air from the middle of the park at the rather stale, mid-table League Two outfit.
He will have aspirations of playing much higher than the lowly division, but for the time being, it's a perfect environment for him to thrive in, with Cowley noting that Sesay possesses "really good quality" in his side.
In time, the hope will be that he can be a staple of the Saints midfield, like the aforementioned Lallana or Ward-Prowse.
But, he won't wait forever for his St. Mary's first team call-up to come, with a worry that another major Dom Ballard blunder could play out with Sesay.
Saints need to make sure they don't repeat Ballard error
With hindsight on side, Ballard should have been utilised a lot more in the Saints first team picture.
He would only be handed four first team opportunities, despite regularly firing home goals in the U18 and U21 set-up, and he showed some signs of promise out on loan, with five strikes amassed from only 12 appearances at Reading.
Last September, though, Ballard would decide to leave his boyhood side behind permanently, in the pursuit of more regular gametime, and this must be a sliding doors moment the Saints look back on with a lot of agony.
Indeed, he would collect the League One golden boot honour during his one-and-only season with Leyton Orient, with a red-hot 23 goals next to his name from 44 matches.
He would seal a move back to the Championship with Bristol City this summer, and he was very nearly on the scoresheet against the Saints earlier this month, to pile on the misery even thicker.
Three goals down now for the Robins from nine matches, Ballard would be an ideal back-up option to Cyle Larin in an alternate reality.
Southampton fans will be anxious that a similar regret will brew if Sesay decides to walk away from his boyhood club after this formative loan stint in Essex, as a potential promotion up to the Premier League would surely restrict his chances in the first team on the South Coast.
For the time being, the promotion chasers will just be happy with Sesay's ongoing development.
But, if a route into the first team back at St. Mary's doesn't look viable for the 19-year-old, he will see what leaving the Championship side behind did for Ballard, with some possibly tense conversations needing to be had with the teenager when he returns to home soil.
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